I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

The next morning, as dawn broke and the morning mist had not yet dissipated.

Outside the south gate of Tiantian City, on a temporarily cleared open space, several teams of cultivators had already lined up, exuding a chilling aura.

Zhou Yuan, dressed in a black robe, stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent.

Beside him stood an old man dressed in a Bagua Taoist robe, with a lean face and a goatee. He was Bu Yunhe, a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Nine Kingdoms Alliance who was stationed in Tiantai Valley with him.

Bu Yunhe's aura was calm and steady, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light, clearly indicating that he had unique skills in formations and escape techniques.

Besides the two of them, there were five Core Formation cultivators from different sects on the open ground, as well as a total of one hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators with solemn expressions.

These are the supplementary forces allocated by the Nine Kingdoms Alliance to the Tiantai Valley defense line, responsible for assisting in defense, controlling formations, and performing some auxiliary tasks.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, I have long admired your name. Meeting you today, I can confirm your extraordinary talent."

Bu Yunhe took the initiative to cup his hands in a polite manner.

Although he was older and his cultivation was not weak, he adopted a very humble attitude when facing Zhou Yuan, a mid-stage cultivator with a notorious reputation.

"Fellow Daoist Bu, you are too kind. I will need your great help on this trip."

Zhou Yuan returned the greeting in a calm tone.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two did not linger. Bu Yunhe summoned a magical flying boat, a ten-zhang-long vessel shaped like a willow leaf, entirely blue in color. The boat was engraved with wind-flowing runes, indicating that it was fast and could carry many people.

"Disciples, board the ship!"

Bu Yunhe shouted.

Five Core Formation cultivators led a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators onto the flying boat in an orderly fashion.

Zhou Yuan and Bu Yunhe then rode their escape lights and flew ahead of the flying boat to lead the way.

The group left Tiantian City, transforming into several streaks of light and speeding towards Tiantai Valley on the southwestern border of Yu Kingdom.

Ten days later, a vast, majestic, and rugged mountain range came into view.

Between the mountains, a huge valley, dozens of miles wide, with towering cliffs on both sides as if cleaved by a knife and axe, stretches out in front of us like a wound cleaved open by the earth. This is Tiantai Valley!

This place is the southwesternmost border of the Yu Kingdom, bordering the recently conquered Fengyuan Kingdom. It is the first important pass to block the northward advance of the Mulanfa army, and its strategic location is extremely crucial.

However, when Zhou Yuan and the others pressed down their escape light and landed at the valley entrance, their brows involuntarily furrowed slightly.

At the valley entrance, only a thin layer of white mist shrouded the area, with weak spiritual energy fluctuations. It was clearly just a basic illusion array and warning restriction, with questionable defensive capabilities.

Some simple stone houses and watchtowers can be faintly seen in the valley, but the area is sparsely populated.

Sensing a powerful aura approaching, a slightly flustered streak of light flew out from the valley and landed, revealing a middle-aged cultivator wearing the standard armor of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, with a cultivation level at the mid-stage of Core Formation and a look of fatigue and tension.

"My name is Zhao Feng, and I pay my respects to Senior Zhou and Senior Bu!"

Upon seeing Zhou Yuan and Bu Yunhe, and especially sensing the unfathomable spiritual pressure emanating from Zhou Yuan, the cultivator quickly bowed, his voice filled with excitement and relief, "Welcome, seniors and fellow cultivators, to our aid!"

"No need for formalities. How is the situation in the valley?" Zhou Yuan asked, raising his hand in a gesture of support.

"Reporting to senior, only this junior and a few dozen Qi Refining cultivators are currently stationed in the valley."

Zhao Feng quickly reported, his tone filled with concern.

"Let's go into the valley first and talk about it then." Zhou Yuan took the lead and stepped through the thin layer of cloud and mist barrier.

The scenery improved slightly once inside the valley.

The valley was wide, with a relatively well-constructed stone building complex in the center, complete with pavilions and towers. Although not exquisite, it was sturdy and practical, enough to accommodate the more than one hundred new troops with room to spare.

However, the overall atmosphere remained cold and somber, far from the prosperity of the large city behind.

Zhou Yuan scanned the entire valley and surrounding mountain walls with his divine sense, gaining a general understanding of the terrain and the original restrictions.

He turned to the five Core Formation cultivators who had followed him and said in a deep voice, "You five, immediately lead all Foundation Establishment disciples to set up the 'Earth-Solid Mountain Formation' and the 'Golden Spear Wind-Splitting Formation' at the valley entrance and the strategic locations on both sides of the cliffs as quickly as possible! The formation flags and array plates have been distributed by the alliance. Follow the instructions precisely! Complete the setup and initial activation of all array bases within two days!"

"Yes! I will obey Senior Zhou's orders!"

The five Core Formation cultivators solemnly agreed, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Before they arrived, they had been given strict orders that all actions during this trip must be carried out under Zhou Yuan's command.

Immediately, the five Core Formation cultivators led the hundred well-trained Foundation Establishment cultivators to quickly disperse, survey the terrain, distribute genuine array flags and array plates, and begin to enthusiastically set up the defense line.

These array masters and disciples were clearly specially trained; their movements were swift and their teamwork was excellent.

Bu Yunhe also assisted in the command. He had a lot of experience in formations and would occasionally offer his advice to make the arrangement more reasonable and efficient.

Zhou Yuan and Zhao Feng learned in detail about the surrounding terrain, enemy movements, and the specific situation of material reserves, so that they had a clear understanding of the situation.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

With the support of a large number of people and sufficient resources, two medium-sized composite formations, which are both offensive and defensive and can be quite troublesome even for mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, successfully covered the main entrance of Tiantai Valley and the commanding heights on both sides.

The clouds and mist at the valley entrance became thick and tangible, with faint earthy yellow spiritual light and sharp metal energy flowing through them, concealing a deadly intent.

The defensive capabilities of the entire valley instantly increased several levels.

"Senior Zhou, Senior Bu, the restrictions have been initially set up. This is the central control token for both great formations."

A late-stage Core Formation master respectfully presented Zhou Yuan with two jade tokens, one shimmering with earthy yellow light and the other with pale gold light.

Zhou Yuan took the token, briefly checked it with his divine sense, and confirmed that it was correct.

After a moment's hesitation, he handed the token that controlled the "Earth-based Rock Formation" directly to Bu Yunhe beside him.

"Fellow Daoist Bu, this token is yours to keep."

"this……"

Bu Yunhe was taken aback, a look of doubt appearing in his eyes.

It is common sense to give the master control token to Zhou Yuan, so why give it to him?

But he immediately suppressed his doubts, said nothing more, and accepted the token with both hands:

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Zhou, I, Bu, will do my utmost to protect this valley."

He thought to himself that with Zhou Yuan's strength and current status, there was no way he would do something as self-destructive as deserting his post.

Even in the worst-case scenario, if Tiantai Valley falls, Zhou Yuan's cultivation level would make it easy for him to retreat calmly.

This move must have a deeper meaning.

"I have my own plans and will be back soon. The defense of the valley will be temporarily entrusted to Fellow Daoist Bu."

Zhou Yuan did not explain, but simply said something.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, please be careful in everything you do," Bu Yunhe said, cupping his hands in greeting, and asked no further questions.

Zhou Yuan nodded, and with a flicker, he transformed into a faint, almost imperceptible blue rainbow, leaving Tiantai Valley and flying swiftly southwest into the already occupied territory of Fengyuan Kingdom.

He did not ride the Wind Chariot, nor did he use the astonishing speed of the Wind and Thunder Wings. He simply flew at the speed of a typical mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, while concealing his aura to the extreme, like a ghost wandering in the shadows of the border.

His goal was clear—to hunt! To fulfill his promise to Wei Wuyai and obtain the "ticket" to establish his own sect!

About a day after penetrating deep into Fengyuan Kingdom, Zhou Yuan stopped his escape light in a desolate hilly area.

His powerful divine sense, like an invisible giant net, slowly spread out, covering an area of ​​nearly a thousand miles, meticulously searching for any spiritual energy fluctuations belonging to a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Several hours later, his eyes narrowed slightly.

In the northeast direction, a unique spiritual aura belonging to Master Mulan was flying slowly and steadily above a hilly area, seemingly on patrol or reconnaissance mission.

Within a radius of several hundred miles around it, there were no other auras of the same level, only a few scattered low-level mage squads operating further away.

"A lone wolf...perfect."

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Yuan's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, his figure transformed into a blue rainbow once more, rushing towards that aura while his divine sense firmly locked onto it.

When the distance closed to about a thousand feet, the flying Master Mulan suddenly stopped, turned around abruptly, and looked warily in the direction from which Zhou Yuan was attacking!

This was a middle-aged mage with an ordinary face, wearing brown leather armor, and with blue wind patterns on his forehead.

He had clearly also cultivated a remarkable divine sense technique, and even though Zhou Yuan had not completely concealed his presence, he detected the anomaly from a thousand feet away.

"A Nascent Soul cultivator from Tiannan? And only at the mid-stage?"

The brown-armored master frowned, his divine sense sweeping over Zhou Yuan. He felt the unfathomable spiritual pressure emanating from the other party and was startled.

But instead of turning around and running away immediately, he stopped in place, his body glowing faintly with spiritual light, and assumed a defensive posture.

This is, after all, within the territory of Fengyuan Kingdom, and is land that the Mulan people have just taken control of.

Behind him were thousands of monks from his tribe, including two high-ranking masters!

If a fierce battle breaks out here, the fluctuations in spiritual energy will surely be detected over there, and reinforcements will arrive in no time.

He figured that with his wind-attribute spiritual arts and a few life-saving treasures, he should be able to hold out until reinforcements arrived without much trouble.

In fact, if we can hold off this mid-stage Tiannan cultivator and wait for reinforcements to surround him, we might even be able to achieve great merit!

However, he severely underestimated the strength and murderous intent of the newcomers, overestimated his own ability to survive, and misjudged the possible duration of the battle.

Just as he paused, became alert, and even secretly sent warning messages to the rear—

A thousand feet away, the purplish-blue phantom of wind and thunder wings behind Zhou Yuan suddenly solidified!

"Crackling! Crackling! Crackling!"

Three short, crisp claps of thunder rang out almost simultaneously!

Lightning Release!

Three consecutive short-range lightning strikes!

Zhou Yuan's figure left three pale golden lightning trails in the air, each flash covering a distance of more than three hundred feet!

A mere thousand feet is nothing more than a few breaths for Zhou Yuan, who has mastered the Wind and Thunder Wings and Thunder Escape Technique!

The brown-armored master only felt a blur before his eyes, and three faint spatial fluctuations flashed by. The black-robed figure had already appeared like a ghost in the air less than a hundred feet in front of him!

For a Nascent Soul cultivator, this distance is already a matter of life and death!

"What?!"

The brown-armored master was terrified; this speed of escape was simply unbelievable!

He let out a strange cry and, almost instinctively, unleashed all the defensive measures he had prepared!

A gleaming silver shield-shaped magical artifact, engraved with a tortoise pattern, instantly expanded, blocking in front of him, its spiritual light thick and heavy.

At the same time, he rapidly formed hand seals and chanted obscure incantations. A blue whirlwind suddenly rose around him, with countless wind blades faintly condensing. It was clearly a powerful wind-type spiritual technique that could both attack and defend.

His reaction was undeniably swift, and his response undeniably thorough. Had he faced an ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, he might have been able to hold out for a short while.

But Zhou Yuan was no ordinary person.

Faced with the hastily lit silver shield and the surging wind spirit power, Zhou Yuan didn't even summon his flying sword.

He simply raised his right hand indifferently, his five fingers spread out, pointing towards the empty space in front of him, making a seemingly casual clench, while simultaneously uttering a short syllable.

Improved version – Ten Thousand Swords Technique!

"Buzz—!"

There was no earth-shattering momentum, nor a long period of building up strength.

Just half a breath! Or even less!

Centered on Zhou Yuan, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of a hundred feet suddenly boiled!

Countless condensed, sharp, and dazzling golden sword energies, like golden suns blooming out of thin air, instantly filled the entire sky! The number of sword energies was more than ten thousand.

Dense and layered, the sunlight was rendered golden, and each sword aura contained a chilling Geng metal killing intent, with the sword tips all pointing at the brown-armored master!

"This... is impossible!"

The brown-armored master's eyes widened, his face filled with unparalleled shock and disbelief! Such a large-scale, powerful, and destructive spell, in the hands of a cultivator from Tiannan, was actually... almost instantaneously cast?!

This casting speed was even faster than that of the Mulan mages, who were known for their "fast spiritual spells"! This completely overturned his understanding of the Tiannan cultivators!

However, the shadow of death left him no time to think about it.

"go."

Zhou Yuan uttered a single word softly.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!!"

Ten thousand golden sword energies, like loyal soldiers receiving the king's command, transformed into a destructive torrent of golden metal, carrying a piercing shriek that tore everything apart, and surged toward the brown-armored master a hundred feet away!

Before the sword energy even arrived, its incomparably sharp intent already made the brown-armored master's face sting, and his protective spiritual light twist violently.

"Block it for me!" The brown-armored master roared in despair, frantically pouring all his magical power into the silver shield while simultaneously activating the still-forming wind blade tornado in an attempt to block it.

"Clang clang clang clang—BOOM!!"

The golden sword strike slammed into the silver shield and wind blades!

The silver shield held out for less than a breath before its surface light flickered and dimmed violently like a candle in the wind. Then, with a "crack," it was pierced and torn apart by countless sword energies, turning into countless silver fragments!

The hastily formed wind blade tornado was as fragile as paper, and it dissipated as soon as it was hit by the sword energy!

"puff!"

With his natal magic weapon destroyed and his spiritual technique broken, the brown-armored master was struck as if by a heavy blow. He coughed up blood, his aura instantly weakened to the extreme, and the protective spiritual light around his body dimmed and was about to be extinguished.

His eyes flashed with endless fear and despair, knowing that if he didn't escape, he would surely die!

The nascent soul leaves the body!

He roared inwardly, and a flash of azure light appeared on the top of his head. A nascent soul, about an inch tall and with the same face as him but filled with panic, emerged from his body, clutching a nascent soul wind pearl. It burned its source energy and was about to use the Nascent Soul Teleportation Technique to escape!

As long as the nascent soul can walk, it is not impossible to reshape the physical body using the tribe's secret methods.

However, just as his nascent soul separated from his physical body and was about to transform into a stream of light and escape—

Soul-Destroying Thorn!

Zhou Yuan's eyes turned cold. A "Soul-Destroying Thorn" divine sense attack, which was extremely refined, formless and intangible, but focused on attacking the soul, struck first and instantly pierced the core of the cyan nascent soul!

"Ugh—!"

The azure nascent soul let out a shrill scream that reached the very source of its soul. The escape light that had just lit up suddenly went out, and the entire nascent soul was as if it had been frozen in place, instantly becoming stiff and rigid. All its movements, including burning its source and teleportation techniques, came to an abrupt halt at this moment!

Zhou Yuan raised his hand and made a grasping motion. A large hand of magical power condensed and easily scooped up the dazed nascent soul along with the wind pearl in its arms. Several sealing talismans were then applied with lightning speed, completely imprisoning it.

From the moment Zhou Yuan used his Thunder Escape to get close, to the moment he used the Myriad Swords Technique to break through the defense, and then to the moment he used the Soul-Destroying Thorn to subdue the Nascent Soul, the entire process took only two or three breaths! It was breathtakingly fast!

Zhou Yuan didn't even glance at the body that had lost its nascent soul and was falling downwards. He waved his hand and unleashed a ball of true fire, turning it to ashes. Then, he put away the imprisoned nascent soul and the brown-armored master's storage bag. With a flicker, he turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared from the spot, as if he had never been there.

It wasn't until a dozen breaths after he left that a few rapid whooshing sounds could be faintly heard from the distant horizon. These were the two Mulan Masters who had rushed over from two hundred miles away after sensing the abnormal spiritual energy fluctuations.

However, when they arrived at the scene, they only saw a faint trace of sword energy and a burnt smell in the air, as well as the last breath of their comrade that quickly dissipated. There was no trace of the enemy.

The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

A fellow guru was killed silently on his own turf?

They couldn't even send a full distress signal?

Over the next three days, similar horrific incidents unfolded one after another in the border region between Fengyuan Kingdom and Yu Kingdom.

Another master named Mulan, who was patrolling the camp by the river, was suddenly engulfed by dense golden sword energy that shot out from the void. His body was destroyed and his nascent soul was captured.

Another master, Master Mulan, who was leading a team to clear out a remnant stronghold of Tiannan cultivators, was approached by a ghostly figure in black robes. A point of eerie blue icy flame struck his brow, instantly turning him into an ice sculpture and shattering him. His nascent soul was also not spared.

In just three days, three Mulan masters fell one after another, each dying in a different way, but they had one thing in common—it was fast!

They were utterly powerless to resist! And the enemy came and went without a trace, not even a shadow could be caught in their wake!

When the news reached the top brass of the Mulan army, it immediately caused a huge uproar and a huge outrage!

"Damn it! When did such a troublesome nemesis emerge among the cultivators of Tiannan?!"

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! Who is it?!"

"Pass down the order! From this day forward, no one of the rank of Lama or above shall act alone! Any mission must be carried out in a small team, with at least two Lamas accompanying each other for mutual support! Patrol areas shall be doubled, and vigilance raised to the highest level!"

"Furthermore, all vanguard units, accelerate your assembly and advance! This Divine Master intends to see the banners of my Holy Clan planted throughout the entire territory of Yu Kingdom within two months! Our army will march straight towards Tiantian City! This Divine Master wants to see how long those Tiannan cultivators can remain so arrogant!"

Enraged, the Mulan leadership immediately responded by changing tactics and accelerating their all-out offensive. Clearly, Zhou Yuan's three-day hunt, while successfully capturing three people, had stirred up a hornet's nest, enraging the Mulan and prompting them to launch a larger-scale offensive ahead of schedule.

……

Several days later, Zhou Yuan's figure returned to Tiantai Valley without a sound.

The valley's protective barriers had all been activated, shrouded in mist and shimmering with spiritual light, exuding a chilling aura. Upon seeing him return, Bu Yunhe visibly relaxed and quickly went to greet him.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, you're finally back!"

Bu Yunhe's tone was urgent, "According to the latest report from the scouts at the front, the Mulan army has completed its initial assembly and has begun its large-scale march!"

Their vanguard will arrive at the foot of Tiantai Valley within two days at the latest! They are not here with good intentions!

"Oh? It's finally here."

Zhou Yuan remained calm, as if he had expected this. He simply nodded and said, "Understood. Give the order to put everyone on high alert, check all formations and restrictions, and prepare sufficient spirit stones and talismans. Just focus on defense."

"yes!"

Bu Yunhe responded, and seeing Zhou Yuan so calm, his anxiety inexplicably dissipated considerably. He then asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, what is your purpose in coming here...?"

"Some gains."

Zhou Yuan interrupted Bu Yunhe's questioning, without mentioning what he had done or what he had gained. Some things were better left unsaid for now.

Bu Yunhe wisely refrained from asking further questions and turned to arrange defenses.

The two days flew by in a tense and oppressive atmosphere of preparation.

On this morning, the sky was overcast, leaden clouds hung low, and the mountain wind howled, carrying a chilling and desolate feeling.

Deep within Tiantai Valley, in a secret stone hall that had been temporarily converted into a command center, Zhou Yuan, who had been sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

His powerful divine sense had already penetrated through layers of restrictions and mountain rocks, and he could clearly "see" the scene outside the valley.

"They're here."

He slowly got up, pushed open the stone door, and walked out.

Inside the valley, all the cultivators were already in their positions. Five Core Formation cultivators guarded the various array points, while a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators controlled the array plates of different sizes. Everyone's expression was solemn, ready for battle. Bu Yunhe, holding the master control token, stood on a high platform inside the valley entrance, his expression solemn.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou!"

Upon seeing Zhou Yuan emerge from the pass, Bu Yunhe immediately looked over.

"Activate the restricted passage," Zhou Yuan said calmly.

Bu Yunhe nodded, and the token in his hand flashed. The thick fog that shrouded the valley entrance slowly parted to the sides, revealing a passage several meters wide.

Zhou Yuan's figure flickered, and he appeared outside the passage, standing in mid-air.

Bu Yunhe followed closely behind and flew out as well, hovering in mid-air alongside him.

Looking up, one could see that the sky and ground several miles away from the valley were a dark mass, with banners waving and a menacing aura emanating from them!

Thousands of Muran mages, riding on various strange flying magical artifacts—some resembling giant lizards, others birds, and still others chariots—formed a neat square formation, hovering in mid-air, their silence carrying a heavy sense of oppression.

The vanguard army of Mulan has arrived at the valley's edge!

Just a thousand feet away in front of the army, three figures exuding powerful spiritual pressure stepped out from the crowd, transforming into three streaks of light. In an instant, they flew to a distance of only about a hundred feet from Zhou Yuan and Bu Yunhe and stopped in the air.

The man in the center was burly, with long, fiery red hair that danced wildly in the wind like burning flames. He had a rugged face, fierce eyes, and a scorching aura emanating from his body. His cultivation level was clearly at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

On the left was a tall, thin man, as thin as a bamboo pole, with a pale face and sunken eyes. He wore a gray linen robe and held a white bone staff in his hand. His aura was cold and sinister, and he was also in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

The person on the right was dressed in a wide black robe that covered his entire body completely, even his face was hidden in the shadow of the hood, only a pair of eyes that shimmered with a ghostly green light were visible, and he exuded an extremely unsettling sinister aura, and his cultivation level was also at the early stage of the Nascent Soul stage.

"Hmph! Just three Nascent Soul stage cultivators dare to invade my Tiantai Valley?"

Standing beside Zhou Yuan, Bu Yunhe felt reassured upon seeing the opposing team's lineup. A cold smile appeared on his face as he shouted loudly, his voice booming with the amplification of his magic.

"You barbarians, you invaded my territory and killed my fellow cultivators! Today, I will make sure you never leave alive!"

He was quite confident at that moment.

With Zhou Yuan, a powerful ally capable of easily killing mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators of the same level, by his side, he only needed to keep one person occupied while Zhou Yuan dealt with the other two.

The odds of winning are extremely high!

Furthermore, if they could take the opportunity to kill one or two enemy leaders, it would greatly boost their morale.

The plot is heating up: Update! Come and check it out!

The man in the center was burly, with long, fiery red hair that danced wildly in the wind like burning flames. He had a rugged face, fierce eyes, and a scorching aura emanating from his body. His cultivation level was clearly at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

On the left was a tall, thin man, as thin as a bamboo pole, with a pale face and sunken eyes. He wore a gray linen robe and held a white bone staff in his hand. His aura was cold and sinister, and he was also in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

The person on the right was dressed in a wide black robe that covered his entire body completely, even his face was hidden in the shadow of the hood, only a pair of eyes that shimmered with a ghostly green light were visible, and he exuded an extremely unsettling sinister aura, and his cultivation level was also at the early stage of the Nascent Soul stage.

"Hmph! Just three Nascent Soul stage cultivators dare to invade my Tiantai Valley?"

Standing beside Zhou Yuan, Bu Yunhe felt reassured upon seeing the opposing team's lineup. A cold smile appeared on his face as he shouted loudly, his voice booming with the amplification of his magic.

"You barbarians, you invaded my territory and killed my fellow cultivators! Today, I will make sure you never leave alive!"

He was quite confident at that moment.

With Zhou Yuan, a powerful ally capable of easily killing mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators of the same level, by his side, he only needed to keep one person occupied while Zhou Yuan dealt with the other two.

The odds of winning are extremely high!

Furthermore, if they could take the opportunity to kill one or two enemy leaders, it would greatly boost their morale.